Upholstery support for the back of a vehicle seat

ABSTRACT

In an upholstery support ( 11,21 ) for the back of a vehicle seat, in particular a backbench of an automobile, with a base plate ( 13,23 ) and at least one reinforcing frame ( 15,25 ) permanently connected to the base plate ( 13,23 ) and at least partially peripheral thereto, the reinforcing frame ( 15,25 ) is constructed modular.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an upholstery support for theback of a vehicle seat, in particular a backbench of an automobile.

[0002] DE 44 02 864 C2 discloses a known seat back upholstery support,which comprises a first flat sheet metal element as a base plate and asecond sheet metal element, which is provided with a peripheral channelsection. The costs of material and manufacture of this seat backupholstery support are quite high.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] One aspect of the present invention is the provision of animproved seat back upholstery support. In accordance with this aspect,the upholstery support includes at least one modular reinforcing framethat is at least partially positioned proximate the periphery of a baseplate and is permanently connected to the base plate.

[0004] A modular construction of the reinforcing frame permits makingwith the same reinforcing frame different seat back upholstery supports,which meet with different requirements, for example, with respect tostiffness or geometric dimensions. This reduces the costs for tools and,thus, the costs of manufacture. To save material, the reinforcing frameis initially provided in a basic form, preferably only in sections ofthe base plate.

[0005] In the case of need, for example, when greater load absorptionsare expected, additional reinforcing elements are joined to thereinforcing frame. For example, the additional reinforcing elements canresult in a closed frame and/or produce a further possibility of forcedistribution in the longitudinal direction.

[0006] In the case of other geometric requirements, the basic form ofthe reinforcing frame may be divided at predetermined breaking pointsand rejoined in a different configuration. The additional cost in theassembly is negligible in view of the advantages of the modularconstruction. As parts to be separated, the legs of the reinforcingframe present themselves with a configuration that deviates from astraight-line shape. For example, the legs can have offset shapes. Inthis connection, the exchange of legs makes it possible to reinforce ina reliable manner seat back upholstery supports with different widths ofthe base plates. In a preferred construction of a divided seat back witha plurality of seat back upholstery supports, the legs to be replacedoriginate preferably from different reinforcing frames, i.e., anexchange occurs crosswise, so that the initial form of each reinforcingframe needs to include only a single, specially shaped leg.

[0007] Preferably, the modular construction of the reinforcing frame issupplemented with the possibility of selecting different hinge means forconnecting the seat back upholstery support. Preferably, the hinge meansare mounted to the reinforcing frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] In the following, the invention is described in greater detailwith reference to three embodiments illustrated in the drawings, inwhich:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment; and

[0012]FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of a vehicle seat made in the formof a backbench with two seat back upholstery supports according to theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention now will be described more fullyhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some,but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, theinvention may be embodied in many different forms and should not beconstrued as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, theseembodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicablelegal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0014] A vehicle seat 1 is designed and constructed as a backbench foran automobile. The arrangement of the vehicle seat 1 in the automobileand the normal direction of travel thereof define the indications ofdirection used in the following. The vehicle seat 1 includes a pivotalback 3, which is divided in the transverse direction at a ratio of ⅓:⅔,with the portions being constructed substantially identically. A groupof seat back upholstery supports, generally indicated at 5, is providedas a structure of the seat back 3, which is described in the followingwith reference to a first embodiment.

[0015] A first seat back upholstery support 11 of the support group 5for the one-third portion of seat back 3 comprises a first base plate 13individual to the type of automobile, and a first reinforcing frame 15with a channel section welded to the first base plate 13, while forminga hollow-section element. The reinforcing frame 15 extends with threelegs along three edge regions of the first base plate 13, and leaves alower edge region open. Below a breaking point 17, an outer leg 16 ofreinforcing frame 15 extends inwardly offset along the outer edge ofbase plate 13, which is constructed in the way of a wheelbase.Otherwise, the outer leg 16 extends in the longitudinal direction ofseat back 3. The upper and inner legs 18 and 19, respectively, are madestraight, and extend respectively in the transverse and longitudinaldirections of the seat back 3.

[0016] Accordingly, a second seat back upholstery support 21 of thesupport group 5 for the two-third portion of the seat back 3 comprises asecond base plate 23 individual to the type of automobile, and a secondreinforcing frame 25 welded to the second base plate 23, while forming ahollow-section element. This second reinforcing frame is mademirror-symmetric to the first reinforcing frame 15 with a greaterdimension along the upper edge of the seat back, i.e. the upper edgeregion of the second upholstery support 21. An outer leg 26 isaccordingly offset inward below a predetermined separation point 27.

[0017] Two outer joints 31 and one center joint 33 are arranged at thelower end of the outer legs 16 and 26, and between two inner legs 19 and29 of the reinforcing frames 15 and 25, respectively. By means of thesejoints 31 and 33, the two seat back upholstery supports 11 and 21 arepivotally mounted, separately from each another, to the vehiclestructure. In the present first embodiment, which is intended for alimousine, a three-point safety belt for the center seat is arrangedwith its upper mounting point, including its automatic belt system,directly on a locking plate and thus in the direct flux of force to thevehicle structure.

[0018] The second embodiment relates to a backbench of a station wagon,in which the first seat back upholstery support 11 is made identicalwith that of the first embodiment, whereas the second seat backupholstery support 21 mounts in addition the three-point safety belt forthe center seat. The upper mounting point of the three-point safetybelt, including the safety belt, is mounted on the upper leg of thesecond reinforcing frame 25. To be able to absorb the additionallyintroduced forces, the seat back upholstery support 21, which isotherwise made in the same way as that of the first embodiment, includesalong its lower edge a transverse spar 35, for example, atorsion-resistant tubular section, which is welded to the outer leg 26and inner leg 29 of the reinforcing frame 25 of the first embodiment,which is used as basic form. Together with transverse spar 35, thereinforcing frame 25 forms a strong peripheral frame. Furthermore, thesecond seat back upholstery support 21 includes a center spar 37, forexample, likewise a tubular section, which extends from approximatelythe center of transverse spar 35 to an upper leg 28 of reinforcing frame25 and is welded to these two components. The upper leg 28 may include areceptacle for the center spar 37.

[0019] The third embodiment, which relates to a backbench with aself-supporting back, includes a group 105 of seat back upholsterysupports. This group comprises a first upholstery support 111 with afirst base plate 113 and a second upholstery support 121 with a secondbase plate 123. In accordance with the invention, the base plates 113and 123 are reinforced by means of the two reinforcing frames 15 and 25of the foregoing embodiments, which are modified, as described in thefollowing, in the way of a modular construction.

[0020] The two reinforcing frames 15 and 25 of the first embodiment,which are preferably used collectively as a basic form, are separated atpredetermined breaking points 17 and 27. The separated outer legs 16 and26 are exchanged, so that an outward offset is obtained on each side,i.e., a greater width in the transverse direction. When being welded tothe base plates 113 and 123, the outer legs 16 and 26 are simultaneouslywelded to the upper legs 28 and 18 of reinforcing frames 25 and 15. Thelower end of all outer and inner legs 26 and 16, and 19 and 29,respectively, mount each the upper portion of a locking means, the lowerportion of which is permanently connected to the vehicle structure. Bymeans of their two locking means 131, the two seat back upholsterysupports 111 and 121 can be pivoted independently of each other, and beadjusted in their inclination. As a result, there is no need to join theupper edge of the seat back to the vehicle structure.

[0021] Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions setforth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

That which is claimed:
 1. An upholstery support for the back of avehicle seat, comprising: a base plate including a periphery; and atleast one reinforcing frame that is at least partially positionedproximate the periphery of the base plate and is permanently connectedto the base plate, wherein the reinforcing frame is modular.
 2. Anupholstery support according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing frameincludes: a basic form, and at least one additional reinforcing elementjoined to the basic form.
 3. An upholstery support according to claim 2,wherein: the basic form extends only partially around the periphery ofthe base plate so that opposite ends of the basic form are spaced apartfrom one another and an opening is initially at least partially definedby the basic form, with the opening being defined between the oppositeends of the basic form, and at least one additional reinforcing elementis mounted between the opposite ends of the basic form so as tosubstantially close the opening, so that the reinforcing frame is in theform of a closed frame.
 4. An upholstery support according to claim 3,wherein the at least one additional reinforcing element includes sparsextending respectively in transverse and longitudinal directions of thebase plate, with the longitudinal direction and the transverse directionbeing perpendicular to one another.
 5. An upholstery support accordingto claim 1, wherein the reinforcing frame includes at least two sectionsthat are joined to one another, and wherein the two sections originatedfrom a basic form and were separated from the basic form at respectivepredetermined breaking points of the basic form, and the configurationof the two sections with respect to one another in the reinforcing frameis different from the configuration of the two sections with respect toone another in the basic form.
 6. An upholstery support according toclaim 5, wherein at least one of said two sections is a leg of thereinforcing frame, and the leg has a configuration deviating from astraight-line form.
 7. An upholstery support according to claim 6,wherein the leg is an offset leg that extends substantially in alongitudinal direction of the base plate, and the offset leg is offsetin a transverse direction of the base plate, with the longitudinal andtransverse directions being perpendicular to one another.
 8. Anupholstery support according to claim 7, wherein the offset leg isproximate an outer peripheral edge of the base plate, and exchanging theoffset leg with another offset leg of the basic form results in adifferent width of the upholstery support.
 9. An upholstery supportaccording to claim 1, further comprising hinges for mounting theupholstery support to a vehicle, wherein the reinforcing frame includeslongitudinally extending legs, the hinges are mounted to the upholsterysupport proximate lower ends of the longitudinally extending legs, andthe hinges can be selected, for purposes of modularly constructing theupholstery support, from a group consisting of hinges in the form ofpivotable joints and hinges with locking means for pivoting between, andlocking at, different inclinations.
 10. An upholstery support accordingto claim 1, wherein a plurality of the upholstery supports are incombination and substantially aligned in a transverse direction totogether at least partially define a back of a vehicle seat.
 11. Acombination according to claim 10, wherein: for each reinforcing frameof the plurality of upholstery supports: the reinforcing frame includesat least a reference section and an offset leg that are joined to oneanother, the offset leg is positioned proximate an outer side of thereinforcing frame, and offset leg extends substantially in alongitudinal direction of the base plate and is offset in a transversedirection the base plate, with the longitudinal and transversedirections being perpendicular to one another; the reference sectionsand the offset legs of the reinforcing frames of the plurality ofupholstery supports were originally separated from a plurality of basicforms at respective predetermined breaking points of the basic forms,such that: for a reinforcing frame of a first upholstery support of theplurality of upholstery supports: the reference section originated froma first basic form of the plurality of basic forms, and the offset legoriginated from a second basic form of the plurality of basic forms, andfor a reinforcing frame of a second upholstery support of the pluralityof upholstery supports: the reference section originated from the secondbasic form, and the offset leg originated from the first basic form,whereby the offset legs of the reinforcing frames of the first andsecond upholstery supports were exchanged crosswise.
 12. A combinationaccording to claim 11, wherein: the first basic form defines a differentwidth than the reinforcing frame of the first upholstery support, andthe second basic form defines a different width than the reinforcingframe of the second upholstery support.
 13. A combination according toclaim 11, further comprising hinges for mounting the upholstery supportsto a vehicle, wherein the hinges are mounted to the upholstery supportsproximate lower edges of the upholstery supports, and the hinges can beselected, for purposes of modularly constructing the upholsterysupports, from a group consisting of hinges in the form of pivotablejoints and hinges with locking means for pivoting between, and lockingat, different inclinations.
 14. The combination according to claim 11,wherein for each of the upholstery supports: the reinforcing frameextends only partially around the periphery of the base plate so thatopposite ends of the reinforcing frame are spaced apart from one anotherand an opening is initially at least partially defined by thereinforcing frame, with the opening being defined between the oppositeends of the reinforcing frame, and at least one additional reinforcingelement is mounted between the opposite ends of the reinforcing frame soas to substantially close the opening, so that the reinforcing frame isin the form of a closed frame.
 15. An upholstery support according toclaim 3, wherein the reinforcing frame includes at least two sectionsthat are joined to one another, and wherein the two sections originatedfrom a basic form and were separated from the basic form at respectivepredetermined breaking points of the basic form, and the configurationof the two sections with respect to one another in the reinforcing frameis different from the configuration of the two sections with respect toone another in the basic form.
 16. An upholstery support according toclaim 4, wherein the reinforcing frame includes at least two sectionsthat are joined to one another, and wherein the two sections originatedfrom a basic form and were separated from the basic form at respectivepredetermined breaking points of the basic form, and the configurationof the two sections with respect to one another in the reinforcing frameis different from the configuration of the two sections with respect toone another in the basic form.
 17. An upholstery support according toclaim 8, further comprising hinges for mounting the upholstery supportto a vehicle, wherein the hinges are mounted to the upholstery support,and the hinges can be selected, for purposes of modularly constructingthe upholstery support, from a group consisting of hinges in the form ofpivotable joints and hinges with locking means for pivoting between, andlocking at, different inclinations.
 18. A method of forming upholsterysupports, comprising: providing a plurality of basic forms, wherein foreach basic form, the basic form includes at least two sections, with oneof the sections being a reference section and the other of the sectionsbeing an offset leg that extends substantially in a longitudinaldirection, and the offset leg is offset in a transverse direction, andwherein the longitudinal and transverse directions are perpendicular toone another; separating the offset leg of a first basic form of theplurality of basic forms from the reference section of the first basicform; separating the offset leg of a second basic form of the pluralityof basic forms from the reference section of the second basic form;forming a first reinforcing frame, which is different from the first andsecond basic forms, by mounting the offset leg of the second basic formto the reference section of the first basic form; and forming a secondreinforcing frame, which is different from the first and second basicforms, by mounting the offset leg of the first basic form to thereference section of the second basic form.
 19. A method of formingupholstery supports according to claim 18, wherein: the first basic formdefines a different width than the first reinforcing frame, and thesecond basic form defines a different width that the second reinforcingframe.
 20. A method of forming upholstery supports according to claim18, wherein: separating the offset leg of the first basic form from thereference section of the first basic form includes separating at apredetermined breakpoint of the first basic form; and separating theoffset leg of the second basic form from the reference section of thesecond basic form includes separating at a predetermined breakpoint ofthe second basic form.
 21. A method of forming upholstery supportsaccording to claim 18, wherein: the forming a first reinforcing frameincludes forming a first upholstery support by permanently connectingthe first reinforcing frame to a first base plate so that the firstreinforcing frame is positioned proximate a periphery of the first baseplate; and the forming a second reinforcing frame includes forming asecond upholstery support by permanently connecting the secondreinforcing frame to a second base plate so that the second reinforcingframe is positioned proximate a periphery of the second base plate. 22.A method of forming upholstery supports according to claim 21, furthercomprising mounting hinges, which are for mounting the upholsterysupports to a vehicle, to the first and second upholstery supports. 23.A method of forming upholstery supports according to claim 21, furthercomprising mounting at least one reinforcing spar to the firstreinforcing frame.
 24. A method of forming upholstery supports accordingto claim 21, wherein: a third basic form of the plurality of basic formsis substantially similar to the first basic form; and the method furthercomprises forming a third upholstery support by permanently connectingthe third basic form to a third base plate so that the third basic formis positioned proximate a periphery of the third base plate, withoutseparating the offset leg and the reference section of the third basicform from one another.
 25. A method of forming substantially differentupholstery supports from a plurality of substantially similar basicforms, comprising: providing a plurality of substantially similar basicforms, with each of the basic forms including opposite ends that arespaced apart from one another so that an opening is defined between theopposite ends of the basic form; forming a first upholstery support,including: reinforcing a first base plate by permanently connecting afirst basic form of the plurality of substantially similar basic formsto the first base plate so that the first basic form is positionedproximate a periphery of the first base plate, and joining at least oneadditional reinforcing element to the first basic form so as tosubstantially close the opening defined between the opposite ends of thefirst basic form; and forming a second upholstery support, including:reinforcing a second base plate by permanently connecting a second basicform of the plurality of substantially similar basic forms to the secondbase plate so that the second basic form is positioned proximate aperiphery of the second base plate, and substantially not obstructing,with any reinforcing element, the opening defined between the oppositeends of the second basic form of the second upholstery support.